Double acting door lock



A ril 21, 1964 3,129,967

H. SHOENFELD DOUBLE ACTING DOOR LOCK Filed Jan. 2, 1962 FIG. 6 mm A fI'ORA/E' United States Patent 3,129,967 DQUBLE ACTING B0812 LQCK Harold Shoeni'eld, Brooklyn, N Filed Jan. 2, 1952, filer. No. 163,544 4 Claims. (Cl. 292-25} The invention here presented is broadly in the field of the lock art; more specifically it presents a safety lock for double opening cabinets or the like; and in detail it is concerned with a cabinet with one or more doors wherein only one door may be opened at any one time.

For many and varied uses, it may be desirable to utilize a cabinet or passage with a plurality of openings, each with a door, wherein only one door may be opened at any time. For example, such devices may be utilized in conjunction with X-ray processes. It is necessary to pass exposed X-ray film or the like from the X-ray room to the outside. This cannot be done direchy in that unprotected personnel outside the X-ray room may be exposed to dangerous rays inadvertently. It is, therefore, necessary to construct a device wherein film or the like inside the X-ray room may be placed within a sealed cabinet through an inner door and then removed from the sealed cabinet through an outer door exterior of the X-ray room. Of course, in any such device, it will be necessary to effectively prevent the simultaneous opening of the inner and the outer doors.

Similarly, specially designed cabinets are necessary to pass film from a dark room. if the dark room door is opened directly or if a cabinet through the wall is utilized and both doors are opened simultaneously, light rays may enter the dark room thereby exposing unprotected film. A cabinet passing through a wall in the dark room with inner and outer doors and wherein only one door may be opened at any one time will, therefore, be necessary.

It is a cardinal object of this invention, therefore, to provide a cabinet with a plurality of doors wherein only one door may be opened at any one time.

It is another primary object hereof to describe an im: proved door lock and catch device.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a device as above-described that is relatively economical to produce.

It is another important object of this invention to describe a double acting lock with relatively few working parts.

A further purpose is to describe a double acting door arrangement that is efficient and dependable.

The invention further seeks to describe a cabinet that may be utilized in conjunction with an X-ray room, dark room, or the like.

With these objects in View, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will appear in the following specification and recited in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate the same parts throughout the various figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view partially in section of the instant invention installed through a wall or the like.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of either the interior or the exterior face of the cabinet.

FIG. 3 is a partial view mainly in section taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional and fragmentary view corresponding to FIG. 3 but showing the locking portion of the device enlarged.

FIG. 5 is a view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 illustrating one side of the lock catches with one of the locking bars.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the locking portion "ice of the device illustrated removed from the remainder thereof with one of the twin locking bars and a catch illustrated in the open door position in phantom.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate what may be for some purposes a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is illustrated generally a dark room, X- ray room, cabinet or the like.

The cabinet illustrated is shown as having two separated compartments 11 and 12 each having its own set of inner and outer doors.

It is to be noted, however, that the cabinet may be constructed with any number of such compartments and further the cabinet in itself may be constructed in any Well known manner. In the illustrated embodiment, however, it is seen as passing through the wall 13 or the like.

Furthermore, the cabinet 1t illustrated, is constructed so as to be especially suitable for use in conjunction with X-ray equipment. It, therefore, is fabricated primarily of sheet metal or the like with lead linings 2.9 suitably positioned therein.

Ordinarily, both sets or" inner doors 21 and 21a will be closed as are the outer doors 2.2 and 22a. As previously explained, it is necessary that means he provided to prevent doors 21 and 21a or 22 and 22:: from being simultaneously opened. The particular means utilized is described immediately hereinafter and is disclosed particularly in the drawings.

It will be noted that in the embodiment illustrated, there is a pair of double central and vertically extending walls 25 and 26 with a gap 28 therebetween. Pivotally connected and parallel to each of the walls 25 and 26 are a pair of twin locldng bars 2h and 36; one pair of twin locking bars for each of the sets of doors 21 and 22, and 21a and 22a.

Referring particularly to FIG. 6, wherein there is shown one of the sets of twin locking bars 29 and 30, it will be seen that the said bars are pivotally fastened as by pins 31 in such manner that the portions 32 and 33 above the pins are heavier in weight than the porttions 34- and 35 below. This will cause any of the twin locldng bars 29 and St? to assume a position as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 6, when not subjected to any outside urging.

As will be seen, it will be necessary to limit the permissible movement of each of the twin locking bars 29 and 30. This may be accomplished by utilizing a centrally located pin il. As the inner end of either of the twin locking bars descend, it will serve to intersect the said pin 41 and will thereby be prevented from further movement. Other suitably placed pins may, of course, be utilized.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the doors 21, 21a, 22 and 22a have at least two catches 515 and 51 installed thereon. The said catches are positioned and arranged so as to intersect the external ends 39 and 4% of the twin locking bars and to be in the same vertical plane with said twin locking bars when said doors are in the closed position. As previously explained, when any of the doors are opened, one of the locking bars will assume a position as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 6. When said door is closed, however, the first of said catches 5% will intersect an inclined plane at the external end 39 or 4% of the appropriate twin locking bar. This will cause the twin locking bar to move to the position as illustrated in solid in FIG. 6.

As will be understood hereinafter, the angle of inclination of the twin locking bars when in the solid or door closed position, is extremely critical. Thus, the adjustment of the first catch Si) is likewise critical. Referring to FIG. 5, it will be noted that although there are three slotted openings in the first catch 50, only one of the said slotted openings 52 does not intersect the second catch 51. Thus, when the device is initially assembled or must be thereafter adjusted, the initial step of such adjustment will be to fix the height of first catch 50 by means of tightening bolt 54 in slotted opening 52 only. 'As above-mentioned, this adjustment will fixthe angle of inclination of the twin locking bars when the doors 21, 21a, 22 and 22a are in a closed position. 7 It has been found desirable to provide a separate adjustment to fix the tightness of the closing of any of the said doors. This may be accomplished by catch 51. As illustrated, second catch Slis positioned and arranged to intersect a second inclined plane 55 at the external ends 39 and 40 of the twin locking bars. When said doors are in a closed position, the second inclined plane 55 will be urged by gravity against the second catch 51, thereby retaining the-door in the closed position. Thus, it will be realized that the height of said second catch 51 Will determine its intersection with the second inclined plane 52 and thereby fix the relative tightness of the 7 door. The second step in the adjustment of the catches during the initial assembly or during adjustment thereafter should be to fix the height of the second catch 50 by tightening bolts 58 and 59 in slotted openings 60 and 61. Of course, the tightening of bolts 58 and 59 will serve further to more rigidly fix the position of the firs catch previously adjusted.

Thus, it will be seen that the double catch arrangement 50 and 51 allows an initial adjustment to fix the angle of inclination of the twin locking bars and a separate adjustment of the relative tightness of the doors when in a closed or locked position.

The operation'of this device then is as follows. tially each pair of twin locking bars 29 and 30 are in a position as illustrated in solid in FIG. 6. Each of the first catches 50 are adjusted so that the adjoining tips of the twin locking bars are in the same horizontal plane and that the angle of inclination of each twin locking bar is equal. Should either of the doors be moved from the closed 'to open position, the catch will move from the position illustrated in solid to the position illustrated in phantom in FIG. 6. Since the twin locking bars are pivotally connected for free rotation and since the upper portion of each of the twin locking bars is heavier than the lower portion thereof, the appropriate twin locking bar will be urged by gravity to the position illustrated in phantom in FIG. 6. The movement of the said twin locking bar will be limited by the pin 41.

Referring particularly to FIG. 6, it will be observed that when the twin locking bar is'allowed to fall to the position demonstrated in phantom in FIG. 6, the extreme internal end thereof will block movement of the opposite twin locking bar. Thus, if one of the said doors is open allowing one of the said bars (30 in FIG. 6) to move to a. position as illustrated therein in phantom, the opposite twin locking bar 29 cannot similarly move. Should an attempt be made then to open the opposite door (the door adjoining twin locking bar 29 in FIG. 6) the sec- 0nd catch 51 will intersect the second inclined plane 55.

Since locking bar 29 will not move, the said opposite door will not open;

. There is thus provided a sure, safe and economical method of providing a cabinet or the like with opposite Q. doors wherein only one or" the said opposite doors may be opened at any one time. The device illustrated and explained is not only efiicient but sure in operation and easy to adjust.

It should be added that for certain specified usages and for additional convenience, each of the doors 21 and 22 may be provided with a closing latch such as of the snap or magnetic type or the like. This is to prevent the spontaneous or inadvertent opening of the door at times when the opposite door is closed.

While there are above disclosed but a. limited number of embodiments of the structure and product of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be opposed on the appended claims as are stated therein, or required by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A locking mechanism for cabinet doors, comprising, in combination, a first and a second door oppositely disposed, twin locking bars pivotally connected between said first and said second doors, and catch means on each of said doors, each of said catch means positioned to intersect the external end of one of said twin locking bars, each of said catch means urging its twin locking bar towards a first position only when its door is closed whereby when said door is open said twin locking bar will be urged toward a second position, each of said twin locking bars being of sufiicient length and positioned to interfere with any movement of said other twin locking bar when in said second position.

2. A locking mechanism for cabinet doors as set forth in claim 1, wherein the external ends of each of said twin locking bars are lighter in weight than the internal ends thereof whereby each of said twin locking bars will be gravity-biased to said second position.

3. A locking mechanism for cabinet doors as set forth in claim 2, further including at least one fixed pin positioned intermediate said twin locking bars to limit the rotation of said twin locking bars.

4. A locking mechanism for cabinet doors comprising, a first and a second door oppositely disposed, twin rotatable locking bars pivotally connected in alignment between said first and said second doors, said twin locking bars being of sufi'icient length whereby either of said bars may intersect the other of the said bars when said bar is rotated to a predetermined position, and catch means on each of said doors, each of said catch means positioned to intersect the external end of one of said twin locking bars, each of said catch means urging its twin locking bar away from said predetermined position only when its door is closed, whereby when either of said doors is opened one of said twin locking bars will be urged toward said predetermined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Perre a July 14, 1959 

1. A LOCKING MECHANISM FOR CABINET DOORS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST AND SECOND DOOR OPPOSITELY DISPOSED, TWIN LOCKING BARS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND DOORS, AND CATCH MEANS ON EACH OF SAID DOORS, EACH OF SAID CATCH MEANS POSITIONED TO INTERSECT THE EXTERNAL END OF ONE OF SAID TWIN LOCKING BARS, EACH OF SAID CATCH MEANS URGING ITS TWIN LOCKING BAR TOWARDS A FIRST POSITION ONLY WHEN ITS DOOR IS CLOSED WHEREBY WHEN SAID DOOR IS OPEN SAID TWIN LOCKING BAR WILL BE URGED TOWARD A SECOND POSITION, EACH OF SAID TWIN LOCKING BARS BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH AND POSITIONED TO INTERFERE WITH ANY MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER TWIN LOCKING BAR WHEN IN SAID SECOND POSITION. 